EPISTLES WRITTEN DURING THE STAY IN CORINTH.

(a.) First Thessalonians.

• Show where this Epistle was written, and next after what event. I. Thess. iii. 6-8; 1-5; Acts xvii. 5.
• Was it early or late in Paul's stay at Corinth? xviii. 1-7.

(b.) Historical Items in this Epistle.

(1) Paul's feelings toward the Thessalonians, and his prayers for them, i. 2; ii. 17-20; iii. 5; 9, 10; 11-13; v. 23.
• How had Satan hindered? ii. 18.
(2) Characteristics of his work among them, i. 5; ii. 1-12.
• For what is this a precedent?
(3) The good example set by them, i. 6-10; ii. 13, 14; iv. 9, 10.
• How is it true that they had turned from idols? 9, cf. Acts xvii. 1-4.
(4) They needed warning against fornication and idleness, iv. 4-6; 11, 12.
(5) They were in trouble about the second coming of Christ, iv. 13; v. 1-3.
• What the nature of this trouble? 13.
(6) The church had been organized, v. 12, 13.
• Meaning of "know them"? 12.
(7) There were spiritual gifts among them, v. 19, 20. [38]

(c.) Second Thessalonians.

• Where and when this Epistle written? Ans. While Silas was still with Paul (i. 1); but he was not with him after leaving Corinth, Acts xviii. 18.
• Written before leaving Corinth].

(d.) Historical Items in this Epistle.

(1) Still persecuted, but growing in faith and love, i. 3, 4.
(2) Still troubled about the second coming of Christ. ii. 1-4.
• The point of trouble, and the cause of it? 2.
(3) Commanded to withdraw from the disorderly. iii. 6-15.
• Meaning of tradition in ii. 15; iii. 6.
(4) Paul's prayers for them, i. 11, 12; ii. 16, 17; iii. 16.
(5) The token of Paul's Epistles, iii. 17.
• What the token, and why mention it? Cf. ii. 2.

10. PAUL'S RETURN TO ANTIOCH, XVIII. 18-22.

• Was it the Nazarite vow? 18, cf. Num. vi. 18.
• Where Cenchrea, and why pass through it? 18.
• Why did Priscilla and Aquila remain at Ephesus? 19, cf. 21.
• Why land at Cæsarea? 22.
• Trace the whole tour. [39]

§ V. PAUL'S THIRD TOUR (xviii. 23-xxi. 16).

1. SECOND VISIT TO GALATIA AND PHRYGIA, 23.

• By what route did he reach Galatia?
• Why the account so brief? See 21.

2. APOLLOS IN EPHESUS AND ACHAIA, 24-28.

• How an Alexandrian by race and yet a Jew? 24, cf. iv. 36; xviii. 2.
• Meaning of "mighty in the Scriptures"? 24.
• What the limit of his instruction? 25.
• By whom instructed and baptized?
• Was Priscilla a public teacher? 26.
• Why write to the disciples? 27.
• What is the letter a precedent for?
• His means of confuting the Jews? 28.

3. PAUL REACHES EPHESUS, AND BAPTIZES A DOZEN MEN.
XIX. 1-7.

• Why Paul's first question? 2, cf. 6.
• Why the second? 3.
• Difference between the baptisms? 3, 5.
• Were all of John's disciples required to be re-baptized?

4. PREACHING IN THE SYNAGOGUE, AND IN THE SCHOOL OF
TYRANNUS, 8-12.

• Why admitted into the school? 9.
• Time in both? 8, 10. [40] 
• How could all in Asia hear through this preaching? 10.
• Why say "special" miracles? 11.

5. EXORCISTS EXPOSED, AND BOOKS OF MAGIC DESTROYED,
13-20.

• Who were exorcists? 13.
• Their conception of the source of Paul's power? 13.
• How many of the seven were beaten? 14, 16.
• Why the fear, and why the name of Jesus magnified? 17.
• What led to the confession and the burning? 18, 19.
• Amount of the money, and why the books so costly? 19.

6. PAUL FORMS A PLAN FOR FUTURE JOURNEYS, 21, 22.

• Meaning of "purposed in the Spirit"?
• When had Timothy rejoined him?
• Who was Erastus? 22. See Rom. xvi. 23.
• Why these two sent into Macedonia?

I. CORINTHIANS.

(a.) Evidence as to Date and Place.

(1) Written in Ephesus, I. Cor. xvi. 8, 9.
(2) Written when "a great door was open." This was after the book burning, ib.; Acts xix. 19, 20.
(3) Was it sent by Timothy and Erastus? 22, cf. I. Cor. 16: 10. [41]

(b.) Historical Items in the Epistle.

(1) Sosthenes "joins in the salutation," i. 1.
• Was he the Sosthenes of Acts xviii. 17?
(2) The church was rich in spiritual gifts, i. 4-7; xii. 1-11, 28-31; xiv. 1-33.
(3) It was troubled by parties, i. 10-15; iii. 1-6.
• Were the persons named the real leaders? See iv. 6, 14, 15.
• Why does Paul argue as he does against the use of his name, if they were not really using it? i. 13-15.
• Why introduce the names of Cephas and Christ? i. 12.
• Can we infer from this an antagonism between Paul and Cephas?
(4) They were tolerating fornication, and are required to exclude certain characters, v. 1-13; vi. 15-20.
• Meaning of deliver to Satan, and design of it? 5, cf. 13.
• A previous epistle. v. 9.
(5) They were tolerating lawsuits between brethren, vi. 1-7.
(6) They had written to Paul for instruction about marriage and divorce, vii. 1-17.
• When and by whom had they written? See i. 11; xvi. 17.
(7) Some were eating meats offered to idols, viii. 4-7.
• On what grounds prohibited? 10-13; x. 19-21, 23-28.
• Is this teaching in conflict with the decree of the apostles? [42] Cf. Acts xv. 29.
(8) Some denying Paul's apostleship, ix. 1-6.
• On what grounds the denial? 1, 4, 5, 6.
• How does he argue his right to support? 7-17.
• What reasons does he give for not demanding a support? 12, 18, 19.
(9) Some of their women appearing in the church unveiled, xi. 4-6; 10; 13-15.
• What praying and prophesying? 5, 13.
(10) They were perverting the Lord's Supper, xi. 17-22.
• Nature of the perversion?
• Why were their meetings for the worse? 17.
(11) There was jealousy about spiritual gifts. xii. 29-31; xiv. 1-3; 18, 19; 23-25.
• Why were tongues so highly prized?
(12) Some denying the resurrection, xv. 12.
• From what sect had they been converted?
• Why does Paul devote the whole chapter to this question? See 13-19.
(13) Paul was making a general collection for the poor in Judea, xvi. 1-4.
(14) Paul was expecting Timothy to reach Corinth and return to Ephesus, xvi. 10, 11.
• What Timothy's movements at this time? Cf. Acts xix. 22.
• Why return to Ephesus?
(15) Apollos with Paul at the time of writing, xvi. 12.
(16) Salutations from churches in Asia, and from that in house of Aquila, [43] 19, 20.
• What origin of these churches? See Acts xix. 10.

7. THE MOB OF THE SILVERSMITHS, xix. 23-34.

• About what time? 23.
• Who Diana, and what the shrines? 24.
• What motives appealed to? 25, 27.
• What of the temple? 27. (See Encyclopedia.)
• Why go to the theater? 30.
• What of that theater now? See L. of B., 576.
• Who the "chief officers"? 31.
• Purpose of the Jews and of Alexander? 33.
• Why was the latter not heard? 34.

8. THE MOB DISPERSED BY THE TOWN CLERK, 35-41.

• What the image referred to? 35.
• What the points of his arguments?
• Why deny charges not preferred? 37.
• What was a "regular assembly"? 39.
• Why in danger of being accused? 40.
• Meaning of "dismissed the assembly"? 41.
• Why the town clerk selected for this task?

9. PAUL'S SECOND VISIT TO MACEDONIA AND GREECE, xx. 1-3.

• Where the meeting with the disciples? 1.
• What his [44] present work in Macedonia? 2.
• What plan of travel is he now pursuing? 2, 3, cf. xix. 21.

II. CORINTHIANS.

(a.) Evidence as to Date and Place.

(1) Written after the mob in Ephesus, i. 8-10.
(2) After arriving in Macedonia, ii. 12, 13; vii. 5.
(3) Before leaving Macedonia, for he went thence into Greece, where Corinth was, Acts xx. 2.

(b.) Historical Items in the Epistle.

(1) Paul's experience at the time of the mob, i. 8, 9, cf. Acts xix. 30.
(2) An intended visit to Corinth and why it was not made, i. 15-17; 23; ii. 1, 2.
• In what sense to spare them? 23.
(3) Paul's feelings when writing the first epistle, ii. 4.
• Why this feeling not apparent in the epistle?
(4) Their action in the case of incest, and its effect? ii. 5-8.
• Why "by the many" and not by all? 6.
(5) Paul's Disappointment on reaching Troas, ii. 12, 13.
• Why pass through Troas?
(6) An allusion to letters of commendation, iii. 1-3.
• Who the persons referred to?
(7) His meeting with Titus [45] and its effect, vii. 5-7; 13.
• Why had he been troubled by not meeting Titus in Troas? 7, cf. ii. 13.
(8) Effect of his first epistle, vii. 8-12.
• Why had he regretted it? 8.
• Had Timothy reached Ephesus as was expected? I. Cor. xvi. 10, 11.
• Who was it that "suffered the wrong"? 12.
(9) Progress of the collection in Macedonia and Corinth, viii. 1-3, 6; 10; 16, 17; 23.
(10) Some at Corinth were disparaging Paul, x. 10-12; xi. 4-6.
• Point in his comparing himself with other apostles? xi. 5, cf. 13-15.
• How could the pretenders claim to be apostles?
(11) His means of support when in Corinth, xi. 7-12.
• How does this agree with Acts xviii. 3?
(12) Paul's previous suffering, xi. 24-33.
• Why these mentioned? 18-23.
• Why not mentioned in Acts?
(13) Paul's vision of paradise and his thorn in the flesh, xii. 1-10.
• Where was he when his vision occurred? (See Chronology p. 73.)
• Why not know whether he was in the body?
• If this not known, could he know the rest?
• Why the words unspeakable? 4.
• Tendencies of his affliction? 7.
• What kind of pleasure in weaknesses, etc.? 10.
(14) Miraculous proofs of [46] his apostleship, xii. 11-13.
• Meaning of signs, wonders and powers? 12, cf. Acts ii. 22.
• Why say "in all patience"? 12.
(15) The impenitent to be punished on his arrival, xii. 20-xiii. 3; 10.
• Did he intend to tolerate this church in its evil condition?

THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

(a.) Evidence of Date and Place.

(1) Written when about to start for Jerusalem with a contribution from Macedonia and Achaia, Rom. xv. 25, 26.
• This he did on leaving Corinth, Acts xx. 3, 4; xxiv. 17.
(2) Gaius was his host, xvi. 23, and he was of Corinth, I. Cor. i. 14.

(b.) Historical Items in the Epistle.

(1) This church was famous for faith and obedience, i. 8; xvi. 19.
• Why so widely known?
(2) Paul's desire and purpose to visit them, i. 9-15; xv. 23, 24.
• When this purpose first mentioned? Acts xix. 21.
(3) Great goodness and knowledge in the members, xv. 14, 15.
• Connection of this with the abstruse character of this epistle? I. Cor. iii. 1, 2; ii. 6. [47]
(4) An account of Phoebe of Cenchrea, xvi. 1, 2.
• Was she a deaconess? 1, cf. 2.
• When had she succored Paul? 2.
• By whom was this epistle probably sent?
(5) An additional account of Priscilla and Aquila, 3-5.
• When and where did they lay down their necks?
• Whence did they move to Rome, and why? I. Cor. xvi. 19.
• How dare to return thither? Cf. Acts xviii. 2.
(6) Some of Paul's kinsmen in Rome, 7, 11.
• When his fellow-prisoners? 7.
• In what sense "of note among the apostles"?
• What of Rufus and his mother? 13.
(7) Many other eminent disciples there, 5-15.
• How was Epænetus first fruits of Asia? 5.
• Meaning of "the brethren that are with them," 14, 15, cf. 5.
• Why so many eminent persons in Rome?
• Connection of this with the fame of the church, i. 8; xv. 14; xvi. 19.
(8) Paul's fears about his visit to Jerusalem, xv. 30-32.
• Why these fears?
(9) Paul's companions when writing, xvi. 21-23.
• When had these three kinsmen joined him? and why?
• In what sense did Tertius write the epistle? 22.
• How Gaius the host of the whole church?
• Why [48] employ an amanuensis?
• What part written by Paul himself? See II. Thess. iii. 17.

THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS.

(a.) Evidence of Date and Place.

(1) The time since he had left Galatia very short for the great change in the Galatian disciples, i. 6, 7.
(2) After leaving Galatia he spent two and one-fourth years in Ephesus, and the following winter in Greece, Acts xviii. 23; xix. 8, 10; xx. 1-3; I. Cor. xvi. 5, 6.
(3) The evidence in (1) will not allow the date to be later than the stay in Greece.
(4) Similarity in subject matter to Romans (ch. iii., iv., cf. Rom. i-v.) argues same date and place with the epistle.

(b.) Historical Items in the Epistle.

(1) The Galatians were being removed to a perverted gospel, i. 6-9.
(2) The perversion consisted in demanding obedience to the law of Moses, iii. 1-3; iv. 21; v. 1-4.
(3) The perverters were Judaizing teachers, vi. 12, 13.
• Whence these teachers, and when had they come into Galatia? Cf. Acts xv. 1.
• Paul's wish concerning them? v. 12; i. 8. [49] 
• "Cut themselves off" from what?
• Why not command the churches to cut them off?
(4) Paul tells how he obtained his knowledge of the gospel, i. 1, 11, 12; 15-20.
• Does he mean that he had thus learned the personal history of Jesus?
• Why does he so earnestly deny dependence on the older apostles?
• Does the statement about going away into Arabia, and returning to Damascus, 16, 17, agree with Acts ix. 20-22?
• Does Acts allow space for the three years? 18, cf. Acts ix. 23-26.
• Purpose of the stay in Arabia?
• How does 19 agree with Acts ix. 27?
(5) Paul's Preaching endorsed by the "pillar" apostles, ii. 1-10.
• From what event do the fourteen years count? 1, cf. i. 18, 15.
• Which of the journeys mentioned in Acts is this? 1, 2, cf. Acts xv. 1, 2.
• How could he say he went "by revelation"? 2.
• When was this private conference held? 2, cf. Acts xv. 5, 6.
• What was the result of it? 6, 9.
• Did it require any discussion to secure this agreement? 2; 7-9.
• How would a disagreement have caused Paul to "run in vain"? 2.
• Purpose of the public conference?
• Point in the remarks about Titus? 3-5.
• Who were the "false [50] brethren"? 4, cf. Acts xv. 5.
• What change in the policy of the Pharisees as respects the church? 4.
• Why refuse to circumcise Titus, and afterward circumcise Timothy? 3, cf. Acts xvi. 1.
(6) Paul's rebuke of Peter, ii. 11-14.
• On which of Paul's visits to Antioch did this occur?
• On what ground did Paul condemn Peter? 14, 18.
• If it was after the decree, why not cite that against him? 12, cf. Acts xv. 28, 29.
• Did James authorize those who came from him? 12, cf. Acts xv. 24.
• Why did Luke omit from Acts the items in this chapter?
(7) Paul's miracles wrought in Galatia, iii. 1-5.
(8) Their tender regard for Paul at his first visit, iv. 13-16.
• How could an infirmity of the flesh lead to his preaching to them? 13.
• What infirmity referred to? 14, cf. II. Cor. xii. 7.
• What could have suggested giving him their eyes? 15.
(9) Paul's handwriting, vi. 11.
• Why the letters large?
• Why no amanuensis?
(10) The marks of the Lord Jesus, vi. 17.
• What marks, and why say "branded"?
• Why no personal salutations at the close of the epistle? [51]

10. PAUL'S JOURNEY FROM CORINTH BACK TO TROAS, xx. 3-6.

• What plot of the Jews? 3.
• Who Sopater of Berea? 4; cf. Rom. xvi. 21.
• What previously known of Aristarchus, 4, xix. 29.
• How many disciples named Gaius? 4; xix. 29; Rom. xiv. 23.
• Home of Tychicus and Trophimus? 4; xxi. 29.
• Why all these on the journey? I. Cor. xvi. 3, 4; II. Cor. viii. 16-23.
• Movements of Luke? 5, cf. xvi. 17.
• Time since leaving Ephesus, 6, cf. I. Cor. xvi. 6-8.
• Slowness of the voyage, 6, cf. xvi. 11, 12.

11. A LORD'S DAY MEETING IN TROAS, 7-12.

• Inference as to frequency of breaking bread? 7, cf. I. Cor. xi. 20.
• Why speak so long? 7.
• Why speak at all at such a meeting?
• Why meet in a third story? 9.
• When was the loaf broken? 11, cf. 7.
• Was it on the Lord's day?
• Why talk the rest of the night? 11, cf. 25.

12. THE VOYAGE FROM TROAS TO MILETUS, 13-16.

• Why to Assos by land, and alone? 13, cf. 22, 23.
• What day of the week was this? Cf. 7, 11.
• Where are the places mentioned?
• Why would stopping at Ephesus cause delay? 16. [52]

13. ADDRESS TO THE EPHESIAN ELDERS, 17-38.

(a.) Review of His Labors in Ephesus, 17-21.

• What plots of the Jews? 19, cf. xix. 9, 33.
• Why from house to house? 20.
• Why the order of repentance and faith? 21.

(b.) His Own Future, 22-27.

• Meaning of "bound in the Spirit"? 22.
• In what cities, and how? 23, cf. 3, 6.
• How did he know they should see him no more? 25, cf. 22.
• On what ground pure from blood of all? 26, 27, cf. 20.
• Why so indifferent about life? 24.
• What meant but his "course"? 24.

(c.) The Future of the Elders and Their Church, 28-35.

• Meaning of the word rendered "bishops"? 28.
• How had the Holy Spirit made them such?
• Meaning of the word rendered "feed"? 28.
• How purchased with God's blood? 28. See Margin.
• From whom or what was the purchase made? 28.
• Sources of the predicted evils? 29, 30.
• How were the elders to guard against these evils? 31.
• How for three years? 31, cf. xix. 8-10.
• How was the word able to [53] do so much? 32.
• Were these elders supported by the church? 35.
• Whence the quotation from Jesus? 35.

14. PARTING FROM THE ELDERS, 36-38.

• How many elders present? 36, 37.
• Why their sorrow so intense? 37, 38.

15. THE JOURNEY FROM MILETUS TO CÆSAREA, xxi. 1-9.

• Where are the places named?
• For what was Rhodes noted?
• Why the change of ships? 2.
• Why take the open sea from Patara to Tyre? Cf. xx. 6, 14, 15, 17; xii. 1.
• In what sense "through the Spirit"? 4.
• Why the parting so solemn? 5, 6.
• Who planted the churches in Tyre and Ptolemais? 4, 7.
• One of what seven? 9, cf. vi. 3-6.
• How did he become an evangelist?
• In what way did Philip's daughters prophesy? 9.

16. AGABUS PROPHESIES THE IMPRISONMENT OF PAUL, 10-14.

• What previously known of Agabus? xi. 28.
• Why not predicted by Philip's daughters?
• Why did Paul's companions now join in the entreaty? 12, cf. 4; xx. 22, 23.
• Why was [54] Paul so determined?
• Why say "The will of the Lord" be done, rather than Paul's will? 14.

17. THE JOURNEY FROM CÆSAREA TO JERUSALEM, 15, 16.

• Did Philip and his daughters go? 16.
• What baggage? 15.
• How could they lodge in Jerusalem with Mnason of Cyprus? 11. [55]

[CNSH4 25-55]

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